Metabolism of Gr 51 by Animals as Influenced by Chemical State. ∗

Abstract

Summary

The physiological behavior of trivalent and hexavalent Cr⁵¹ has been observed over a 4 5-day period in rats as affected by chemical form and route of administration. When intravenously administered as sodium chromite, practically 100% of the dose was picked up by the organs of the reticuloendothelial system. Chromic chloride resulted in a pickup by the liver of about 55% of the dose. When Cr⁵¹Cl³ was added to isotonic acetate and citrate buffers; less than 5% of the dose reached the liver and most of the activity was excreted in the urine. The use of sodium chromate solutions resulted in about 25% of the dose reaching the liver. However, the activity left this organ rapidly in contradistinction to the other forms studied. Oral, intraperitoneal and intratracheal administration of Cr⁵¹Cl³ were also studied. None of the forms of Cr⁵¹ used were found to cross the placenta of rats ranging from 15 to 20 days in gestation. In addition, data are presented from 2 sheep intravenously dosed with Cr⁵¹Cl³. The above physiological observations are correlated with the colloidal behavior, complex formation, protein binding, and red cell binding, and are in general agreement with interpretations of filter paper elec-trophoretic studies of the dosing solutions.